Strip the cable end and install a new connector

Photo 1: Cut the end

Your coaxial cables corrode over time,
which can result in a bad picture on
your television. To fix, begin by cutting off
the old ends.

Photo 2: Strip the cable

Prepare the end of the cable for
installation of the new F-connector
with a special coax cable stripper. This is a
two-step process with this style stripper.

Photo 3: Slip on the coax connector

Push the new fitting onto the end of
the stripped coax. First bend the
braided sheathing back and check to make
sure that no foil or braided sheath is touching
the copper conductor.

Photo 4: Seal the connector to the cable

Compress the connector with a special
compression tool. It's simple. Just
slip the connector into the tool and
squeeze the handle.

According to cable repair experts, corroded
or faulty cable ends are one of
the leading causes of a poor-quality
picture. And with the transition to digital
broadcasting, poor connections are
going to become even more apparent.
So if you're having problems with your
picture or you just want to make sure
you're getting the best digital signals,
replace the crimp-on ends of your
coax with state-of-the-art compression-type
connectors. Here's how.

You'll need side-cutting
pliers or another cutting tool to clip off
the old cable ends, a special coax cable
stripping tool to prepare the cable end
for the connectors, and a compression
tool to install the new ends (these are also sold together as digital tool kits). But before you purchase tools or connectors,
you'll have to determine whether your
coaxial cable is RG6 or the less common
RG59. RG6 is the standard for new
installations, but if you're replacing
the ends on older cables, they might be
RG59 (the white plastic dielectric that
surrounds the center conductor is
smaller on RG59 coax). Without a side-by-side comparison, it's hard to tell the
difference between the two. To be sure,
cut one of your coax cable ends off and
take it along to the store. Ask a salesperson
to help you identify the type.

Photos 1–4 show how to replace an
old coaxial cable end with a new compression-type RG6 connector. It's pretty
straightforward, but there are a few
things to watch out for.

First, you have to strip the cable
carefully to avoid damaging the conductor
or sheathing. Start by positioning
the cable in the outermost hole
with the blade aligned 1/4 in. from the
end of the cable. Twist the stripper
around the cable two or three times to
slice through everything but the center
conductor. Remove the cable and slide
the cut section off to expose 1/4 in. of
bare copper conductor. Inspect the
conductor carefully to make sure it's
not cut or nicked. Next reposition the
cable to the second hole in the stripper
so the blade is aligned 1/4 in. behind
the stripped section. Spin the stripper
around a few times to cut the outer
jacket. Remove the cable from the tool
and slide the jacket off to expose 1/4
in. of the braided sheathing.

Prepare the cable end for the connector
by carefully folding the braided
sheath back onto the outer jacket (Photo
3). On quad-shield cables, you'll find
two braids and two layers of foil. In
this case, bend three layers back but
leave one layer of foil covering the
white plastic dielectric in place. It's
critical to make sure that neither the
foil nor any of the tiny braided wires
are touching the center conductor.

Before you put the connector in the
compression tool, press the connector
onto the stripped cable end. You may
have to twist the connector slightly as
you push to get it to seat correctly. Then
slip the connector into the compression
tool and squeeze the handle until the
compression sleeve is fully seated.